Hardhat Overview
Hardhat is an Ethereum development environment designed for professionals. It's primarily used in the development of smart contracts for the Ethereum blockchain.
Key features of Hardhat
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Local Ethereum Network: It provides a local blockchain environment, allowing developers to deploy contracts, run tests, and debug their code.
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Automated Testing: Hardhat facilitates automated testing of smart contracts, which is crucial for ensuring their reliability and security.
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Debugging: It includes a robust debugging tool that helps developers identify and fix issues in their smart contracts.
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Hardhat Runtime Environment (HRE): This is injected into the project's scripts and provides access to Hardhat's functionality and plugins.
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Extensible Through Plugins: Developers can extend Hardhat's capabilities through a wide range of plugins.
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Network Management: It allows for seamless interaction with public and private networks, making deployment processes efficient.
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Ethers.js and Waffle Integration: These integrations provide a set of utilities for writing and testing smart contracts.
Install
npm install --save-dev hardhat